Route 1 downtown retail area in Darien, CT.

DARIEN — The town welcomed several new businesses while saying goodbye to a few other beloved institutions that closed shop permanently in 2021.

Here’s a roundup of some stores that opened in — and left — Darien this year.

Several new eateries hit the local restaurant scene this year.

Owner Tim Labant opened Parlor Pizza & Bar at 1020 Post Road — the former location of Bistro Baldanza — in April. It’s the second location for Labant, who opened the original Wilton store in 2018. Since its arrival, the pizza restaurant has garnered rave reviews from locals.

And for fine dining aficionados, Restaurant L’Ostal, a new Provençal restaurant from owner and chef Jared Sippel, also opened in April. The restaurant is “rooted in history and tradition celebrating the cuisines of Southern France and its boundaries,” according to its website. It is at 22 Center St.

New tenants moved into empty storefronts at Darien Place, the redevelopment at the former Darien Playhouse location. Laurent Lighting and Design, a lighting material and furniture store with one location in Ridgefield, is set to open its second location at the site, according to its Facebook page.

La Taqueria, a Mexican eatery that currently operates one location in Greenwich, is another new tenant in the Darien Place development. Owned by chef Dennis Lake, the restaurant has begun work on its new location but is expected to officially open in mid-January 2022.

One longtime Darien liquor store got a modern-day rebrand. The Town Cellar, 1089 Boston Post Road, opened in November but is a continuation of local institution Glen Liquors in Noroton Heights.

“The time was right for a really thoughtful, cool wine and spirits lifestyle concept,” said partner Lauren Hokin, whose father owned Glen Liquors. The store sells curated wines and beer along with other products.

For fashion fans, the clothing boutique Whim opened in April. The store sells apparel and accessories and operates several other locations in the tri-state area.

And embracing a non-traditional boutique model, the online-only clothing store Luvli opened earlier this year, owned by Darien native Ann Laczko and her daughters.

The popular nautical store The Dock Shop, a staple in Darien’s downtown since 2012, closed in January . The shop sold fishing products, specialty clothing and nautical-themed knicknacks.

Named a Darien Chamber of Commerce business of the year in 2018, owner Michael La Scala cited the increasing popularity of online shopping and the pandemic as reasons it was forced to shut down.

“This wasn’t an easy decision and not one we were happy about,” La Scala said at the time of the closure.

The cycling and fitness studio JoyRide also shuttered its doors this year after suffering a series of setbacks, including serious flooding during Hurricane Ida, pandemic challenges and limitations on insurance coverage. The studio still operates a Westport location.

“JoyRide Darien has been an amazing example of strength and joy,” the business wrote in an October Facebook post announcing its departure. “We will never forget the inspiring charity rides, the incredible teamwork, the close-knit community, as well as the lifelong friendships that have been made along the way.”

And residents also lost Baja Joe’s, a family-owned Tex-Mex bistro on Center Street.

“We truly appreciate all the support over the past year,” owner Joe Criscuolo wrote in an October Facebook post announcing the closure.

Some stores also relocated this year as a result of redevelopment projects, including Kennedy’s All-American Barber Club, which is moving from its current location at 1950 Post Road to a storefront in Darien Place.